Big Fuel opens Detroit outpost to handle GM

Big Fuel, a New York-based marketing and communications agency, will open a Detroit office to handle social media campaigns for General Motors.

The expansion will allow Big Fuel to work with GM on a day-to-day basis, according to Seth Berk, VP of business development at Big Fuel. The two companies will collaborate on social media marketing campaigns structured around each individual GM brand line. The campaigns will roll out throughout the first quarter of 2011.

“Each of GM's brand lines has their own audience demographic that we are working with them on reaching," Berk said. The challenge with any social media effort, according to Berk, is understanding the audience and its needs. Big Fuel will work closely with GM to “make sure the messaging is appropriate and relevant to [each brand] audience,” Berk said.

The company's Detroit office will consist of 30 staff members. Between 20 and 40 new staff members will also be added to the company's New York office. GM and Big Fuel have been working together for the past six months on the upcoming campaigns. GM previously developed its own social media campaigns in-house.